In the video, a long zoom-out shot clearly showed several modified Phantom-class mechs, with depleted ammunition and low battery power, engaging their engines at full throttle.
Their twelve main and secondary jet engines blasted scorching air towards the ground. The mechs, instantly accelerating beyond Mach 2, shot skyward, intercepting Meng Hao's customized F-35s, which were patrolling the battlefield at over twice the speed of sound.
Both the modified F-35s and the Phantom-class mechs were products of Huarong Industries, founded by Meng Hao. Their connection ports, links, and transcoding rates were all compatible. Each modified F-35 fighter was paired with two modified Phantom-class mechs.
A telephoto lens focused on one of the F-35s. From the frame, it was evident that the fighter's charging port and ammunition supply port were already linked to a Phantom-class mech. Within minutes, a fully recharged Phantom-class mech, now reloaded with ammunition and fully powered, reappeared on the battlefield.
"Holy crap!"
"Awesome!"
"They can do that?!"
After ten Huarong Type I mechs were destroyed, the Russian military had apparently converted those ten modified F-35s, each capable of carrying nearly 40 tons, into aerial refueling and resupply bases on the battlefield.
As Meng Hao stared in astonishment, the scene shifted. The long-focus lens switched to a close-up. The same familiar face filled the screen – Major General Gudiev, his bushy beard and broad face dominating the frame.
Major General Gudiev, also present on the battlefield, pointed towards the distant combat zone. "Everyone, I have to praise Huarong Industries to the skies!"
"We thought the Huarong Type I was already amazing, but who knew the Phantom-class mech would be the true god of the battlefield!"
"Paired with the rapid assault flight module as a refueling and ammunition resupply station, these ten Phantom-class mechs are enough to wreak havoc on the battlefield!"
"Damn it!"
Meng Hao felt an urge to reach into the video screen and throttle Gudiev, wanting the old Russian to shut up. His company's civilian mechs had been transformed into battlefield destroyers on his side. And what was with all the Daxia internet slang? Comrade Major General Gudiev, were you afraid people wouldn't suspect you spent all day at Huarong Industries?
As Gudiev explained, the camera returned to the battlefield. Nearly a thousand various military drones, armored vehicles, and tanks from the Western Union were being pummeled by the ten modified Phantom-class mechs, crying out in distress with no ability to fight back.
Frankly, they had no way to resist. The Phantom-class mech's speed of Mach 2, combined with its incredibly agile aerial in-place turning capabilities – it was agility taken to the extreme! The defensive capabilities of the Phantom-class mechs were in no way inferior to the colossal Huarong Type I. Their mech armor could withstand being blown up into two massive destroyers, and occasionally taking a few shells in dense fire grids was like a tickle to a fully defended power mech.
The only complaint was the mechs' firepower. Russia's war technology tree was generally focused on brute force. Their various carpet-bombing artillery shells and missiles lacked much technological sophistication. Especially on the Phantom-class mechs, compared to their insane agility and defense, Russia's firepower output seemed rather unremarkable.
However, the modified Phantom-class mechs could be replenished with energy and ammunition on the battlefield! In other words, these were essentially ten non-stop firepower platform docks! Even if their firepower was significantly weaker than Western Union standards, thanks to their agile forms and superior defense, they could achieve uninterrupted firepower saturation without being shot down!
As a result, the Western Union's overwhelming array of tanks and military robots were being eliminated at a visible rate. It was like the Siberian snowfields melting away with the rising sun – constantly diminishing, constantly disappearing.
What was even more tragic was that, in the face of the Phantom-class mechs' powerful mobility, those damaged tanks and military robots had no chance to retreat from the battlefield! As soon as a tank or military robot showed signs of withdrawal, a mech would immediately descend upon it and unleash a barrage of fire, riddling them into sieves.
On the battlefield, the Western Union coalition had been reduced to just one-fifth of its original strength. The ten modified Phantom-class mechs, apart from occasionally getting hit by unavoidable artillery fire and ending up covered in soot, were almost completely unharmed. It was no longer a question of whether the ten modified Phantom-class mechs, enhanced by Russia, could cripple – no, accurately speaking, completely annihilate – the Western Union coalition.
The military exercise ended with a great victory for Russia. The mines, worth tens or even hundreds of trillions, fell into Russian hands. As for the Western Union countries... well, they lost nearly a hundred billion in military equipment. Truly a case of a thief stealing a chicken only to lose the rice jar.
...
The video finished playing. Meng Hao's jaw was so wide open he could have fit several boiled eggs in it.
This was… Russia really knew how to play!
Now, even though Meng Hao was the founder of Huarong Industries and the chief designer of both types of mechs, he was starting to wonder if he had perhaps designed military robots and combat mechs after all.
...
"Everyone, I didn't know things would turn out this way."
"Our Huarong Industries is truly just a civilian enterprise!"
"Who knew Russia would pull off such an impressive stunt!" Meng Hao sighed. While he wanted to promote the mechs produced by his Huarong Industries through online channels, this wasn't the way he envisioned it. This live-fire military exercise by Russia had truly expanded his fame… now, everyone thought Meng Hao had started a military enterprise!
Bilibili had demanded an explanation from the Mecha Ji livestream, threatening to seal the account and freeze any outstanding payments… considering it, there was actually some logic to that.
...
Kyoto.
The newly established "Future Science and Technology Research and Development Office."
Zhang Weimin was working in his military uniform. As a newly promoted brigadier general, the National Security Defense Headquarters had specifically established a new department for him. Naturally, the main responsibility of this department was to closely monitor Meng Hao and his Huarong Industries factory in secret, providing Meng Hao with sufficient support when necessary, and directly liaising with Huarong Industries.
"Sir!"
"This is the latest collected intelligence."
"From the current market analysis, it appears quite a few forces are selectively slandering and smearing Huarong Industries!"
Oh? Zhang Weimin raised an eyebrow. He had already anticipated that Meng Hao would encounter trouble, but he hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly.
"Good."
"I understand."
"Give me the documents, and you can get back to work!" Zhang Weimin put down his current task, took the thick stack of documents, and began to flip through them with a frown.